Advocate of the Month San Diego - November 2020 By CJ Machado
Darnisha Hunter “There is no greater way to thank our veterans for their service than to become their advocate,” expressed Darnisha Hunter. Darnisha has been serving our military community for over 25 years. Although she never served in the military, she has impacted many lives through her public service to our veterans and their families, including mine. San Diego Veterans Magazine is proud to announce Darnisha Hunter as our “Veteran Advocate of the Month” - 2020 Veteran’s Day issue. Darnisha served as Community Representative and Military Veteran Advocate to Mayor Kevin Faulconer, the 36th Mayor for the city of San Diego for 8 years. In that time, Darnisha worked tirelessly to implement ways to improve the lives of our military and their families. There was never a task too small to consider or a project too big to conquer. Whether it included our military veterans, first responders or underserved, Darnisha was involved. Her passion and dedication to veterans and their families is limitless and inspiring. When asked why does she support the military and their families wholeheartedly? Her response is, “I’m a member of one of those families. My driving force stems from my uncle Luther Jones. Uncle Luther served proudly with the Airforce during the Vietnam War for three tours. My uncle was a joyful man and high-spirited in heart, a heart he freely gave to every one of his family members and everyone he met. We adored him and everyone loved being around him. We are a close-knit family and my uncle was a huge part of that. 10
WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / NOVEMBER 2020
After my uncle’s last tour in Vietnam, he stopped communicating with the family. I was only 15 years of age at the time. It wasn’t until I became a grown woman that I fully understood the loss of my uncle and how it impacted our family. It left a big hole in our hearts to not be able to communicate with our loved one who was once so full of life. That is why I serve so passionately today, for the love I carry for my uncle Luther and all the veterans and their families. That is why I serve the veteran community with all my heart and being. It’s my way of thanking them for their selfless service.” Hunter’s public service extends from organizing and supporting Hire-a-Veteran workshops at City Hall to deep sea fishing trips for underserved children. Part of her outreach includes attending veteran events and dedications, implementing and presenting proclamations, attending change of command ceremonies, supporting the San Diego Veterans Coalition and the many veteran organizations in which she’s an active member. Among her many accomplishments, Darnisha was instrumental in displaying the “United We Stand, United We Sew 9/11 Memorial Flag,” in front of the Mayor’s office and facilitated Mayor Faulconer to add his signature of condolences to those lost on that tragic day. The quilted flag honors all citizens and first responders that were lost on September 11, 2001 and is now publicly displayed at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia. It wasn’t until 2018 that Darnisha’s veteran advocacy impacted her life the most. “A few weeks after I buried my father, I was working with a veteran whose PTSD was getting the better of him, it escalated by what he felt was the run around from the VA. He was trying to get a percentage increase in his disability benefits. His PTSD was triggered by the frustration of the process and what he felt was a hopeless situation. He had left me a voicemail stating he was going to kill himself. After just losing my father, this was not a situation I was sure I could survive and least of all his family.